In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of BFE. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?” We are somewhere in Arizona around the 1990s where the point of the view of the play is told by Penny. Some of the scenes are set in her apartment where she lives with her mother and uncle, the mall, Walgreens, and in one point a creepy lake. It is understood that she lives in working class neighborhood where she lives a comfortable life from the income of her uncle whose a security guard. She doesn’t have a car so all the scenes are walking distance which helps us understand the circumference of the environment we are encapsulated in.
What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play? The intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken is slightly difficult to point out, but I think it was when Penny speaks to Hugo over the phone for the first time. This is the part when Penny is internally awaken and starts to have moments of self-reflection where she feels accepted for who she is. Hugo genuinely likes Penny, and towards the end of the play the love he feels for her never went away. This dramatic action that speeds between the two speeds up the longer that Penny withholds from seeing Hugo in person.
Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor that is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place? The events take place in this particular time happen because this is when Penny is trying to figure herself out her own self-worth and beauty. She is pressured from all angles, including her own mother, to change her outer self for the world to see her inner beauty. The interesting part of this dynamic is that this the “ideal” American beauty becomes a curse for it is what her local kidnapper looks for in his victims.
State the dramatic question or questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.) Will Penny ever meet Hugo in person? What really happened to Penny the night she went missing? Will her mother Isabelle ever leave the home or get with the pizza guy? Will Penny’s uncle live happily ever after with the cashier?
Use Penny, Isabelle, or Lefty to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Trifles the wants of Ms. Hale change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles for one of the three designated characters.. What Penny wants is live in her own ideal beauty. If she could choose her looks, she wants to have American facial features with blond hair and blue eyes, but since she has to settle with her Asian features, she wants to look like the ideal Asian look. Her wants do not change as the play progresses for it is emphasized. The obstacle that Penny faces has always been me against herself, but it later becomes a me versus another individual. She always was insecure to begin with but it is fueled when her mother suggests plastic surgery. In her mind she creates the obstacle of her against society, but really that was never the case. She thinks that the world was always was against her natural self but really society would not perceive her that way, yes a lunatic kidnapper thought she was ugly but that was due to an external circumstance that cant speak for all of society.
The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. In your estimation what is the most theatrical moment in BFEand what happens during that moment which is so important to the outcome of the play? The most theatrical moment for me was when we come to realize that Penny becomes a victim of the kidnapping from the very man responsible for all the kidnappings in her town. It was a moment that I honestly wasn’t excepting and showed that plays can really turn 180 degrees.
Provide at least three examples of images in BFE. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
The magazines that Penny reads in Walgreens represents the beauty standard that not only Penny follows but for most young women in the America. The earrings that Lefty buys for Penny represent not only the lack of awareness Lefty has for Penny but also the beauty accessory that not even Penny can wear to fit in. The eye patches that Penny wear when she gets eye surgery represent the pain and sacrifice to maintain a beauty standard.
Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in BFE. Beauty is not found on the outside but is found on the inside. People all want to be loved and accepted for who they are, but you have to find it within you to love your own self in order for the world to love you. You are never the reason for being the victim of an attacker, never blame yourself for being the target of a predators sick game. Sometimes you have to let go of certain people in your life to live your true authentic self, even if it means your own family.
Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with BFE? Is family redefined in BFE and if so, in what ways? Family in this play is unconventional but still has the traditional members that most American families have. There is an uncle who takes on the role of father which is one of the only unique aspects of this family. Family is redefined in this play for it is flipped but the love that a father would feel for a daughter is there. The mother on the other hand is not as loving as a traditional mother would be, for her values are placed elsewhere. The bond is strong for dependency reasons, and not for value reasons. Keeping the family together is a sign of security in the eyes of Isabelle.
We are somewhere in Arizona around the 1990s where the point of the view of the play is told by Penny. Some of the scenes are set in her apartment where she lives with her mother and uncle, the mall, Walgreens, and in one point a creepy lake. It is understood that she lives in working class neighborhood where she lives a comfortable life from the income of her uncle whose a security guard. She doesn’t have a car so all the scenes are walking distance which helps us understand the circumference of the environment we are encapsulated in.
What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
The intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken is slightly difficult to point out, but I think it was when Penny speaks to Hugo over the phone for the first time. This is the part when Penny is internally awaken and starts to have moments of self-reflection where she feels accepted for who she is. Hugo genuinely likes Penny, and towards the end of the play the love he feels for her never went away. This dramatic action that speeds between the two speeds up the longer that Penny withholds from seeing Hugo in person.
Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor that is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
The events take place in this particular time happen because this is when Penny is trying to figure herself out her own self-worth and beauty. She is pressured from all angles, including her own mother, to change her outer self for the world to see her inner beauty. The interesting part of this dynamic is that this the “ideal” American beauty becomes a curse for it is what her local kidnapper looks for in his victims.
State the dramatic question or questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
Will Penny ever meet Hugo in person? What really happened to Penny the night she went missing? Will her mother Isabelle ever leave the home or get with the pizza guy? Will Penny’s uncle live happily ever after with the cashier?
Use Penny, Isabelle, or Lefty to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Trifles the wants of Ms. Hale change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles for one of the three designated characters..
What Penny wants is live in her own ideal beauty. If she could choose her looks, she wants to have American facial features with blond hair and blue eyes, but since she has to settle with her Asian features, she wants to look like the ideal Asian look. Her wants do not change as the play progresses for it is emphasized. The obstacle that Penny faces has always been me against herself, but it later becomes a me versus another individual. She always was insecure to begin with but it is fueled when her mother suggests plastic surgery. In her mind she creates the obstacle of her against society, but really that was never the case. She thinks that the world was always was against her natural self but really society would not perceive her that way, yes a lunatic kidnapper thought she was ugly but that was due to an external circumstance that cant speak for all of society.
The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. In your estimation what is the most theatrical moment in BFEand what happens during that moment which is so important to the outcome of the play?
The most theatrical moment for me was when we come to realize that Penny becomes a victim of the kidnapping from the very man responsible for all the kidnappings in her town. It was a moment that I honestly wasn’t excepting and showed that plays can really turn 180 degrees.
Provide at least three examples of images in BFE. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
The magazines that Penny reads in Walgreens represents the beauty standard that not only Penny follows but for most young women in the America. The earrings that Lefty buys for Penny represent not only the lack of awareness Lefty has for Penny but also the beauty accessory that not even Penny can wear to fit in. The eye patches that Penny wear when she gets eye surgery represent the pain and sacrifice to maintain a beauty standard.
Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in BFE.
Beauty is not found on the outside but is found on the inside. People all want to be loved and accepted for who they are, but you have to find it within you to love your own self in order for the world to love you. You are never the reason for being the victim of an attacker, never blame yourself for being the target of a predators sick game. Sometimes you have to let go of certain people in your life to live your true authentic self, even if it means your own family.
Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with BFE? Is family redefined in BFE and if so, in what ways?
Family in this play is unconventional but still has the traditional members that most American families have. There is an uncle who takes on the role of father which is one of the only unique aspects of this family. Family is redefined in this play for it is flipped but the love that a father would feel for a daughter is there. The mother on the other hand is not as loving as a traditional mother would be, for her values are placed elsewhere. The bond is strong for dependency reasons, and not for value reasons. Keeping the family together is a sign of security in the eyes of Isabelle.